LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1998, Page 140

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140 CONGREGATIONAL SERVICES

2-49

To Continue Expansion of Curricular Materials

WHEREAS, The Word of God, our Lutheran Confessions, and
the constitutions of LCMS churches require that unadulterated truth
in matters both spiritual and secular be taught in our churches and
schools; and

WHEREAS, Lutheran, Christian elementary day schools teach
both religion and nonreligion classes in their schools; and

WHEREAS, Publishers of secular elementary education textbooks
have included an increasing amount of secularism, humanism, and
feminism in their textbooks along with new age, occult, and “polit-
ically correct’ pseudo-historical content; and

WHEREAS, Curricula from other non-Lutheran religious pub-
lishers for nonreligion classes is unsuitable due to references of
pietism, moralism, works righteousness, and a lack of Law-Gospel
and sacramental theology, and promote the particular teachings of
their denominational background; and

WHEREAS, There are 997 elementary Christian day schools as-
sociated with congregations of The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod, teaching approximately 185,000 students; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Board for Congregational Services of the
LCMS and Concordia Publishing House be commended for recent
efforts in developing and producing selected curricula of nonreli-
gious subjects suitable for use in our elementary schools; and be it
further

Resolved, That the Board for Congregational Services of the
LCMS and Concordia Publishing House be encouraged to continue
expansion of curricular materials for all subjects and grades within
the next trienium; and be it finally

Resolved, That all congregations with elementary schools who
are associated with the LCMS be encouraged to utilize such ele-
mentary curricula to enable the cost to be reasonable and competi-
tive with other secular and religious publishers.

Our Saviour
Armada, MI

2-50

To Encourage Development of Lutheran
Christian Academic Curricula

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has the
largest non-Roman Catholic K-12 Christian education system in
the United States; and

WHEREAS, There ate no textbooks, workbooks, materials, or
other teaching aids in academic subjects from a Lutheran Chris-
tian point of view; and

WHEREAS, The secular textbooks contain teachings which are
contrary to the Bible and the Lutheran Confessions, especially in
the areas of health and science:

1. The teachings in health textbooks concerning morality and
how to handle life’s situations emphasize what is pragmatic instead
of using prayer and acting in a moral way;

2. The teachings in science textbooks concerning the beginning
of the earth and the cosmos emphasize evolution and the earth as
one civilization among many instead of emphasizing creation and
the uniqueness of earth; and

WHEREAS, The textbooks from other Protestant denominations
and publishing houses do not adequately teach these subjects from
a Lutheran point of view:

1. The teachings in health textbooks employ a reformed em-
phasis on legalism, a sovereign God, and obedience instead of an
emphasis on God’s grace given to us in Jesus Christ;

2. The teachings in science textbooks employ, among other
themes, a negative attitude toward science related to evolution, em-
phasizing the creation based on creation science rather than ac-
cepting the Genesis account of creation based on faith and seeing
science as agreeing with Genesis; and

WHEREAS, The students in our Lutheran Christian day schools
want answers to their questions regarding health and science, but
may become confused when the textbooks and the teachings of
their teachers do not agree; and

WrereaS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has many
well-qualified scholars in the colleges and universities of the Con-
cordia University System who could write curricula in both health
and science; therefore be it

Resolved, That The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod in con-
vention resolve that Concordia Publishing House publish approved
curricula (textbooks, workbooks, and video) in health and science
for use in our Lutheran Christian day schools; and be it further

Resolved, That the health and science faculties of our Concordia
University System colleges be required to make available resources
for these projects; and be it finally

Resolved, That the schools of our Lutheran Christian day
schools be encouraged to use these curricula in their classes.

Faith

Corning, NY

2-51

To Develop Academic Textbooks
and Other Curricular Materials
WHEREAS, We believe in keeping all teachings pure; and

WHEREAS, Doctrinally unsound teachings, including those an-
tagonistic to the Bible, are more often appearing in texts published
by the secular publishing companies; and

WHEREAS, The positive role of Christianity and the effect of the
Christian faith on the actions of individuals, groups, and nations is
most often omitted from or misrepresented in secular academic
textbooks and related materials; and

WuereEAS, Lutheran schools are in need of curricular materials
in all subject areas that are Bible based and are also cognizant of
Lutheran beliefs and heritage, and are excellent for teaching our
young people; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has a long
tradition of academic excellence which is acknowledged by experts
in other Christian denominations and the public school system; and

WHEREAS, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is richly
blessed by God with talented educational professionals capable of
developing excellent academic materials for Lutheran schools, in-
cluding, but not limited to, the education faculties of the Concordia
University System; and

WHEREAS, Concordia Publishing House has the experience and
the ability to print and market such materials, and it is a purpose
of Concordia Publishing House to prepare and print materials for
use in The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod; therefore be it

Resolved, That the Southern Illinois District in convention
memorialize The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod to direct Con-
cordia Publishing House to develop academic textbooks and other
curricular materials for use in Lutheran elementary schools.

Southern Illinois District

2-52

To Publish and Use an American Translation of the
Bible and the New Evangelical Translation

WHEREAS, The King James Version of the Bible has long and
well served English-speaking Christians; and

WHEREAS, Many today are rather unfamiliar with the language
of the KJV of 1611; and

WHEREAS, Bible manuscripts have been found which are older
than those used by the KJV translators in 1611; and

WHEREAS, Most modern translations today are not entirely ac-
curate and often reflect the theological views of its translators; and